Apparatus for digging ditches

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for digging ditches consisting of a pipe laying device mountable on a tractor, a plough share coupled to the pipe laying device, and an oscillator for oscillating the plough share. The pipe laying device is positioned behind the tractor and supports the digging apparatus on the bottom of the ditch being dug.

ite States Patent Ruge Apr. 10, 1973 [54] APPARATUS FOR DIGGING DITCHES [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Hans Ruge, Wardenburg, Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,508,411 4/1970 Rogers ..6l/72.6 Assignee; Klaus.Gerd Hoes Oldenburg Killoren.... Donnerschweerstr Germany 3,403,521 H1968 Kant ..6l/72.6 3,575,006 4/1971 Rugroden ..6l/72.6 [22] Filed: Jun 3, 1971 3,421,329 1/1969 Kinnan ..6l/72.6

[21] Appl.No.: 149,492

Primary ExammerJacob Shapiro Att0rneyAllison C. Collard [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 19, 1970 Germany ..P 20 41 105.6 [571 ABSTRACT An apparatus for digging ditches consisting of a pipe E laying device mountable on a tractor, a plough share n 1 d 1 d l f [58] Field of Search ..6l/72.6, 72.1, 72.7, e to the mp6 aymg devlce an 0811 or 61/725; 37/173, DIG. 18; 172/40 oscillating the plough share. The pipe laying device is positioned behind the tractor and supports the digging apparatus on the bottom of the ditch being dug.

3 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure APPARATUS FOR DIGGING BITCHES The invention relates to a ditching plough with level regulation by a sole controlling device.

A series of different devices for digging drains and other ditches are already known. Thus it is known to pivot ploughs on a tractor such that by adjustment of the draw beam the draw point of the plough share can be altered with respect to height, the plough being able to pivot vertically about this draw point. In the case of this device the lower edge of the plough share serves as a guide, sothat any tilting movements of the tractor are not transmitted to the plough. Drainage ditches can be dug to an accurately defined depth with this device. The disadvantage of this device consists in that a relatively high pulling force is necessary.. Even by advantageous design of the shape of the plough share no essential reduction of the necessary pulling power is achieved.

In the case of another known device the plough share is connected to a vibrator which causes the plough to oscillate vertically. In the case of this device a lower pulling force is required, but it has the disadvantage that this apparatus is controlled with respect to height from the surface, since it is guided either atthe tractor axis or at special support wheels. This device is used to dig ditches in which a smoothness of the bottom is not absolutely necessary.

An advantage of the ditching ploughs as compared with ditching machines, which make the ditches with shovels or knives, which are secured to rotating chains or wheels, essentially lies lower degree of wear; in toto on the whole ditching ploughs however require a rather higher expenditure of pulling force.

The object of the invention is to create a ditching plough with level regulation by a. sole controlling device, in which the accuracy of the conventional ditching machinesare paired a lower degree of wear of the ditching ploughs and the small power requirement of the vibrational plough.

The presentinvention consists in a ditching machine comprising a pipe laying device adapted so as to be mounted on a tractor, a plough share connected the pipe laying device, an oscillator arranged to oscillate the share, wherein the pipe laying deviceis arranged so as to support the machine on the bottom of the ditch which the machine has dug.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode by way of example, the drawing shows a tractor on which a pipe laying device 8 is pivoted on one end of a draw arm 6. The other end of the draw arm 6 is pivotably secured at the rear endof the tractor. On the leading edge of the pipe laying device 8, which is supported in the surface of the bottom of the ditch, is arranged a plough share 1. On the plough share 1 is mounted an oscillator provided with unequal weights and which is driven through a universal-joint shaft 3 from the tractor power take-off shaft. The oscillator causes the plough share 1 to make oscillations of a long-stroke. So that the oscillations are not transmitted to the pipe laying device 8, by which the guidance of the plough share could be impaired, the connection between the plough share: 1 and the pipe laying device 8 is made via resilient'elements 7. The wedge-shaped leading end of the plough share 1 has a rake angle with respect to the bottom ofthe ditch so that the oscillations of the oscillator 5 does not allow the plough share to oscillate against the bottom of the ditch. In order to bring the pipe laying shaft and the plough share into the working position a power lift 2 is secured to the draw arm 6 and to the tractor. The power lift 2 is constructed as an articulated lever.

For theexact depth control of the pipe laying device 8, its leading edge is extended vertically upwards. This extension has a lower pivot point 6a and on the outermost end an upper pivot point 4a. The draw arm 6 is pivoted on the lower pivot point 6a. The draw arm transmits the pulling force of the tractor to the pipe laying' device 8. On the draw arm 6 there is pivotally mounted a control cylinder 4, the free end of which is connected to the upper pivot point 4a. The pipe laying device 8 and the plough share 1 arranged thereon can be pivotted by the control cylinder 4 about the pivot point 6a, so that a counter moment can be exerted on the horizontally guided pipe laying device 8. If the tractor makes any alternation with respect to height because of the ground surface, this alteration in height would take effect through the draw arm 6 on the pipe laying device 8 and thus on the plough share 1.

What is advantageous inthe construction of the embodiment is that by the use of a vibrational plough, the pulling force can be decisively reduced and that the making the bottom of the ditch smooth is guaranteed, since the plough share is arranged on the pipe laying shaft, the pipe laying shaft being capable of being braced on the bottom of the drainage ditch. In this manner, drainage ditches can bedug quickly and accurately, without any part whatever of the device being subjected to excessive wear, as is usual in the case of cutting chains or the like.

The connection between plough share and the pipe laying shaft being resilient provides that the plough share has sufficient guidance at the pipe laying shaft and that the oscillations of the plough share are scarcely transmitted to the pipe laying shaft and thus to the whole machine.

The provision that there are on the vertically upward extended leading edge of the pipe laying shaft two pivot points arranged one above the other, that there is pivoted in the lower pivot a draw arm connected to the drawing machine and in that on the drawn arm there is secured a movably arranged control cylinder, whose free end of the piston rod is secured in the upper pivot point, ensures that by the pivoting, a drainage ditch can be dug in which the ditch depth, set once, is almost independent of the rises of the ground at the surface. The pipe laying shaft serves as support member for the plough share, so that the latter has no opportunity to effect any change in height of its adjusted position. The pipe laying shaft is connected to the tractor through the drawarm so that the horizontally located support member or the pipe laying shaft is arranged floatingly behindthe tractor. Any change in height on the surface is compensated for by a control cylinder with which, by means of the extended leading edge of the pipe laying shaft, the base of the same is always maintained in a horizontal position, that is to say, for example, if the movement, in that it moves out further and the compressive force of the control cylinder through the upper pivot point of the extended leading edge of the pipe laying shaft exerts a counter moment on the latter. A degree of accuracy of the drainage ditch is achieved by this pivoting as could not be achieved previously with just vibrational ploughs.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for digging ditches for pipelines,

comprising:

means for laying pipe in a ditch;

a mounting arm, pivotably secured at one end on a tractor and at the other end to said pipe laying means, for mounting said pipe laying means on the tractor so that the bottom of said pipe laying means slidably engages the bottom of the ditch being dug;

a plough share, for digging a ditch;

resilient mounting members for mounting said plough share on said pipe laying means so that said plough share is movable vertically upwardly and downwardly with respect to said pipe laying means, said plough share being disposed in front of said pipe laying means so that it is pushed by said pipe laying means during operation; means coupled to said plough share, for oscillating said plough share vertically upwardly and downwardly; and

adjustment means, mounted on said mounting arm and coupled to said pipe laying means, for maintaining said pipe laying means substantially parallel to the surface of the ground, said plough share being mounted on said pipe laying means at an angle with respect thereto so that said plough share does not engage the bottom of the ditch during oscillation thereof.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said pipe laying mean further comprises a vertically upwardly disposed mounting member, pivotably coupled to one end of said mounting arm and said adjustment means.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said adjustment means comprises a hydraulic cylinder secured at one end to said mounting arm and pivotably coupled to the upper end of said vertically disposed mounting member of said pipe laying means.

III l III 

1. An apparatus for digging ditches for pipelines, comprising: means for laying pipe in a ditch; a mounting arm, pivotably secured at one end on a tractor and at the other end to said pipe laying means, for mounting said pipe laying means on the tractor so that the bottom of said pipe laying means slidably engages the bottom of the ditch being dug; a plough share, for digging a ditch; resilient mounting members for mounting said plough share on said pipe laying means so that said plough share is movable vertically upwardly and downwardly with respect to said pipe laying means, said plough share being disposed in front of said pipe laying means so that it is pushed by said pipe laying means during operation; means coupled to said plough share, for oscillating said plough share vertically upwardly and downwardly; and adjustment means, mounted on said mounting arm and coupled to said pipe laying means, for maintaining said pipe laying means substantially parallel to the surface of the ground, said plough share being mounted on said pipe laying means at an angle with respect thereto so that said plough share does not engage the bottom of the ditch during oscillation thereof.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said pipe laying mean further comprises a vertically upwardly disposed mounting member, pivotably coupled to one end of said mounting arm and said adjustment means.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said adjustment means comprises a hydraulic cylinder secured at one end to said mounting arm and pivotably coupled to the upper end of said vertically disposed mounting member of said pipe laying means. 